My second daughter enrolled Hoikuen.

_{On 4th of April, it was my second daughter's ceremony for entering Hoikuen.}

_{It was a very fine day and not so cold. Until this day, I had to take my daughters to a different hoikuen everyday, it was a kind of a task.}

_{I went to the Hoikuen and got into her class room first.}

_{Her teacher welcomed us with a smile and said, ' Congratulations !' and put a motif for ceremony on my daughter’s chest.}

_{The ceremony took place on the second floor.}

_{Still she was very gentle because everything was a new experience for her.}

_{These days, she is VERY active.} 

_{She can stand up holding things and walk a couple of steps gradually, catch things by herself.}

 _{Now she is like a lump of curiosity.}

_{I will never know what she will do.} 

_{She does not like to be hugged. She wants to move by herself so I have to follow her all the time.}

 

_{I sat on the chair holding her on my feet and waited for the ceremony to start wishing to finish soon.}

_{After a few seconds, she tried to get out of my grip and move. During the ceremony, she tried to search the room creeping around touching everything around her.}

_{I had to follow her and stop and come back to our seat. Then next, she grabbed another parents bags, slippers, held other parent's legs and stood up.}

_{I had to say 'Sorry' each time. At the end, she tore the motif off from her chest before taking a class picture. OH~!!}

 

_{On the other hand, surprisingly, kids around us were so gentle and sat with their mothers and stayed. They were watching us.}

_{HOW DIFFERENT!}

 

_{I thought my kid was unbearably cute.} 

 

 
 

Children are parents of mirror?

 

  The other day, we were having dinner. I made rice ball and side dishes
such as, meat balls, cucumber salad, Chinese chive stir-fry etc. for my first daughter. Meat balls is her favourite. I was sure that she would eat them all first. I reminded her. 'Please eat all your dishes, not just the meat balls, OK?'
She said, 'Yes.'

  When I was busy feeding my second daughter she smiled at me mischievously and then squeezed a rice ball with her both hands. 'Look Mum!' she said, showing her hands with lots of rice all over them. 'Don't play with your food. Eat the rice on your hands as well”, I said. She said, 'No way’ and she was kneading rice on her hands. Looking at her, I continued, 'If you waste food, I won't give you food anymore!' Then she tried to eat it all.

   After licking all the rice off her hands she said,'Gochisosamadeshita' and left the table. As I expected, she only ate the meat balls. I said, 'Eat the other side dishes.' She said, 'I don't want them.' After an argument, I retorted, 'If you only eat the meat balls, I won't give you meat balls anymore!' Then she ate all the food without any hesitation.

  I think it is especially important to scold kids firmly when they waste food. As a result, she obeyed what I said. However, I was not satisfied at all. I wondered if how I scolded her was right. It is said that punishment won't  get to a kids heart.
They obey just because they do not like to be punished.

  I said to myself, why was I such a scolding mother?Why was I irritated by such a mere childish attitude? To begin with, why could I not be gentle? 
I thought the reason was not the kids but the reason would be in myself.

When I was pondering, she said,

'Mum, smile cheerfully~.'

It got to my heart directly.

Admire the Flower

今回、英語でブログを書く余裕がなく、日本語で書いています。
（次回は今回のような文章を英語で書けるよう挑戦したいです！）

早いもので、もう今年度も終わりに差し掛かっています。
春の訪れとともに、新しい人生をスタートさせる人も多いのではないでしょうか。

私の下の娘も、ようやく保育園に入園することになりました。
入園式は４月４日　晴天であることを願っています。

ところで、日ごろから・仕事、育児、家事・やらで、一息つくことも少ないですが、
癒される瞬間があります。それは花を鑑賞するときです。

ガーデニングも好きで、それは実家の母が四季折々の花苗を買ってきては
玄関先にいつも植えていた影響かもしれません。物心つくころから一緒に土を触りだし、
今では、店先で花苗が売られているとつい足をとめ、わかってはいるけれど、
「衝動買い・無駄使い」をしてしまう私です。

そして、これからの春の季節。花の苗が一番流通する季節。気分がうきうきする季節です。

私の家の庭には、すでに沢山の花が植えてあるのですが、花をみつけると魅了されてしまうので、植えるスペースがなくなるまで買ってしまいそうです。今はまだ寒気に吹かれ開花できていない花達も、春になると一斉に繁茂しだし、その成長をみることと、その美しさによってまるで心が清浄潔白になれるような気分にさせてもらえます。花によっては冬の寒さに厳しくあてられたほうが、春の開花がすばらしいものがあり、まるで人が逆風に鍛えられて逞しい人になれるのと同じだな、と感じます。

WIXASの事務所にも植物がおいてありますが、生花・植物がある空間では、交感神経活動
（緊張・ストレスを感じる神経）が低下する、反対に副交感神経活動（休息・リラックス）
が上昇するという効果が、医学的に証明されているという研究結果があるそうです。

私の家の玄関にも、必ず花を生けるようにしています。（行きつけのスーパーで、いつも生花が売っているからですが・・・格安で）

娘たちにも、花のように、自分らしく美しく成長してほしいものです。

Fond parents?

 

Last Sunday, it was my first daughter’s recital. Last year, my husband couldn’t come due to his work but this year, he had a paid-day-off.

We were so much excited by imagining how cute she would be in her stage costume, how she would dance on the stage in front of us.

 

The very best day, in the venue, there were so many children, their families and friends. After taking her to a waiting room, we sat on our seats in the big hall and waited.

After the announcement, a drop curtain opened. The audience started cheering. Those in the hall were already excited only by watching children’s costume.

Almost all the parents set their smart phones, digital cameras and video cameras. Definitely, they including us were into the recording.

 

Parents called for their children’s name and so did we.

When the music started, the excitement of the audience was max. Their performance was so cute with innocent movements. My husband and I immediately found our daughter.

I almost cried while watching her in the stage. I was so impressed to see her growth even though she is still like a baby at home. We were very proud of her.

 

  

There is no correct answer for child raising.

Since I came back to WIXAS, I have been feeling that I’m always pushed for time and I can’t relax.
In reality, It is not that bad but I can't help feeling like that.

A week has passed and I’m getting more and more tired as it goes.

Everyday, I have to wake up at at least 6 AM before kids get awake.
Otherwise, I can't do my routine for my husband and me, such as making Obento, getting ready for Hoikuen, holding laundries, doing dishes, etc...
Sometimes kids wake up early in the morning before these things are done.
I think 'Oh my god~~' in my mind.

After my husband leaves for work, I try to finish all the houseworks, then take my daughters to their Hoikuens.
It is normally about 9 AM when I drop off second daughter at the Hoikuen.
I then, finally have a short break before work.
I finish the work at 4 PM and rush to pick kids up.
In the evening, time flies again and it becomes 8 PM so fast after dinner and bathing.
I get so tired but my mind is filled with what I do tomorrow. I just want to rest as long as possible.
I often leave things undone until next morning even though there are plenty of my duties.
Luckily, my husband does dishes everyday. So I leave him in the kitchen and say 'Good night'. And daughters and I go to bedroom.
Of course, they do not sleep soon.
I always read books for first daughter. That is our routine.
She wants more play with me but I just want to sleep especially during the mid week, that is all.
I feel sorry for her.

The other day, after reading a couple of books, I turned off the light and we started to sleep.
Then she said,' I want to go to toilet.'
To be honest, I was irritated. It is too cold to go to the toilet at night in the middle of the winter.But I had no choice, I took her to the toilet.

In the toilet, she said, 'I don't want to pee.'
I thought, 'Hah??' but calmly, 'OK, then go back to the bedroom.
'After a few minutes, she said, 'Mum, I want to go to toilet again.'
I thought, 'Huh, again??' but said, 'OK.'
In the toilet, she wanted to play with a toilet paper and did not pee. 
I understand that now she is in the toilet training.
She is almost perfect to pee in the toilet of the Hoikuen but sometimes she misses it. At the end, she went to the toilet 5 times and did not pee. My anger reached the max.Finally I said, 'Even if you go to the toilet, you don't pee. I am tired.'
She said and cried, 'I GO!! Mum, I go to the toilet if I want to go, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?'

I thought I was noticed by her. I felt regret myself for having bad feeling at her.

She just practiced to pee...I felt self-hate that night.

Next morning, I hugged her and said to her, 'I am sorry last night, I was so tired.'

She said, 'Yes,,,'.
I thought myself I should treat her well even if I am busy for second daughter. 

I talked about this story to my friend and she said,
'Oh, you don't have to say sorry!! Your daughter needs to learn mum's situation.
If you always feel sorry for her and treat her too kindly, she will be selfish.
Now she is 3. 3 year old kids understand things more than you expect.'

I was convinced.

There is no correct answer for child raising...